Polyphosphonic acids have numerous applications in industry. For example, polyphosphonic acids can be used as corrosion inhibition agents in cooling water and boiler water systems (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,446,046 and 4,201,669) and inhibitors of fouling deposit formation on jet engine components during the combustion of finished turbine combustion fuel oils (U.S. Pat. No. 5,596,130). One approach to the synthesis of polyphosphonic acids involves the radical polymerization of unsaturated phosphonic acid monomers (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,201,669, 4,446,046 and 5,519,102).
An unsaturated phosphonic acid monomer that has received considerable attention is isopropenylphosphonic acid, which has the formula H2C═C(CH3)(PO3H2), which is referred to herein as “IPPA.” The polymerization of IPPA and related monomers results in the formation of a polymer with pendant phosphonate groups. It would be desirable to synthesize polymers not only possessing pendant phospohonate groups but also phosphorous groups within the polymer backbone. These polymers would be useful in a variety of industry applications such as scale and corrosion inhibition in a number of systems. The methods described herein accomplish these goals.